Project Description: 

Our lab is currently investigating innovative soil management strategies tailored to urban agricultural systems and aimed at reducing costs of production while enhancing stress tolerance. In partnership with the Berkeley Food Institute, we have joined a coalition of soil scientists, ecologists, city planners, and cooperative extension specialists to develop practices that will address concerns over soil health and soil contamination in the city. 

One part of this work is a two-year experiment at Berkeley’s 0.25 ha research field, the Oxford Tract. We are comparing a novel no-till management system that employs intensive composting, minimal soil disturbance, and cover cropping. We hypothesize that this practice will increase soil organic matter (SOM), boost production, and improve crop water-use efficiency. Second, we are examining how cover crops designed to break through subsoil compaction (e.g. forage radish) can lead to increased cash crop rooting depth and deep water extraction, potentially also enhancing drought resilience. In addition, the UC Gill Tract Community Farm (UCGTCF) has also been utilizing no-till management over the last three years. This SPUR project will use the UCGTCF as a model for what occurs in no-till systems over longer time periods.

With a focus on both soil ecology and the efficiency of crop production, we will track key metrics of soil health over the course of the two-year experiment, including total soil organic carbon (C), total soil organic nitrogen (N), and an indicator of labile soil organic matter, permanganate oxidizable C. Measurements could also include microbial biomass C, microbial biomass N, and other key indicators of microbiota such as extracellular enzyme activities  or genomic analysis. The experiment will also track other soil physical and chemical factors such as as inorganic N (ammonium, nitrate), soil water retention, and clay silicate composition, as indicators of the mineral and water holding capacity of the soil. Ultimately, these will be compared with measured crop yields, labor requirements, and input costs (e.g. compost, cover crop seeds, water, etc/ ) to evaluate the economic and environmental benefits of these agroecological practices.

Department: 
ESPM
Undergraduate's Role: 

The students who joins this project will have the opportunity to participate at multiple scales simultaneously. The students will be trained in soil sampling techniques, soil processing, and chemical analysis of soil samples for measurement of soil organic matter fractions. Since this field experiment will be for a minimum of two years, development of independent research questions related to soil health, water use efficiency, agroecology, soil-pest interactions, etc., will be encouraged. Students will learn how to analyze basic chemical and biological functioning of soil systems, analyze resulting data, and report back to the group on key findings.

The students will also learn basics of experimental design and help maintain field research plots (e.g planting and irrigation). They will learn how urban farms are managed, including seeding, transplanting, plot preparation, and harvesting. They will track key metrics of urban agroecological environments, and keep careful schedules of harvests and food distribution. Depending on interest, they may be asked to interface with local food justice organizations, restaurants, and other distribution methods to understand the viability and accessibility of food grown in urban environments. 

Undergraduate's Qualifications: 
  • Have a background in ecology, environmental science, chemistry, biology, or related fields
  • Maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher
  • Understand basic soil ecology, and its intersection with biochemistry, mineralogy, microbiology, etc.
  • Be passionate/have experience in farming or gardening
  • Preferably have research experience in a laboratory/bench chemistry environment
  • Work independently and be able to summarize and communicate findings clearly
Location: 
On Campus
Hours: 
6-9 hours
Project URL: 
https://bowleslab.netlify.com/